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Published on 08/18/1999 All articles from this issue

No elections scheduled for school board seats

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By Linda Taaffe / Town Crier Staff Writer

Voters won't have to go to the polls this November to decide who will fill empty seats on either the Los Altos or Foothill-De Anza Community College district boards of trustees. The number of candidates who filed equals the number of empty seats at both districts, so there will be no elections.

Two candidates filed for the two available four-year terms on the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees, and three candidates filed for the three, four-year terms on the board for the Foothill-De Anza district. The filing deadline was Aug. 11.

Newcomers Margot Harrigan and David Casas will fill the two open seats on the Los Altos School District Board. Incumbents Kristine Salmon and Terri Sachs are not seeking re-election.

Casas, a business analyst and a member of the Los Altos Parks and Recreation Commission, was a key organizer in this year's Fourth of July celebration at Shoup Park. He has served on the boundary committee and the Springer and Covington school site facility committees at the Los Altos School District. He has two children, one currently enrolled at Springer School and one entering kindergarten in 2001.

Casas said he wants to be a part of the district's plan to "renovate and reinvigorate our schools. What we do at this threshold will impact our community for years to come."

Casas said he believes that the district should strive to create a strong sense of community for children and the schools they attend.

Harrigan has been president of the Los Altos-Mountain View Council of Parent-Teacher Associations, which includes three school districts and 15 schools. She was president of the Loyola School PTA, served on the curriculum, facilities, school boundaries and Covington School site committees at the Los Altos School District.

She also served as co-chairwoman for Loyola School for the district's Measure H campaign. She has one sixth-grade daughter who attends Loyola School.

Harrigan is a former marketing manager and independent consultant for Hewlett-Packard Company.

She now works as a community volunteer.

Harrigan said running for office seemed like the next logical step along her path of community service.

"It makes sense to do this right now," she said. "We're facing a really exciting four-year period, and I want to be part of it. There are a lot of issues" - facilities, staffing, standards.

Superintendent Marge Gratiot said she believes both candidates " are extremely well qualified."

Salmon, who served three years on the board, said she plans to pursue "more private than public ventures."

"I think I'm leaving at a good time. I feel we're really in great shape. We're right in the beginning of some great changes," Salmon said, referring to the district's master facilities plan.

Sachs, who served 8 years on the board, said she is a "real believer in term limits. We need new, young, energetic blood."

Foothill-De Anza

Incumbents Mary Mason, Judith Moss and Dolores Sandoval will fill the three Foothill-De Anza seats.

All three have served on the board since 1991.